as in officers
a member of a force charged with law enforcement at the local level
reported the crime to the local constable
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of constables
Troopers and Beacon Falls constables responded to the home and detained Drozdowski, state police said.
—
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Off stage, Benedick and Beatrice spar their way toward the aisle, while our bumbling constables take center stage.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Agencies assisting included Tarrant County constables, police departments from Fort Worth and Forest Hill, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Harris County leaders worry a new law could leave them on the hook for higher costs by allowing constables to negotiate patrol contracts with neighborhood associations without approval.
—John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
Texas law requires constables to become licensed peace officers with arresting authority within nine months of taking office.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
That law change came more than half a decade after a joint WAVE News and Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting investigation highlighted the lack of training and accountability for the state’s constables, including some who had criminal records of their own.
—Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
The law required sheriffs and constables to execute those orders — and enslavers paid them for their efforts.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The range of salaries will be $143,400 for constables and $295,564 for District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a North Richland Hills Republican.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2025
Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 6 May 2026
Off stage, Benedick and Beatrice spar their way toward the aisle, while our bumbling constables take center stage.
—Cincinnati Enquirer, 7 Mar. 2026
Agencies assisting included Tarrant County constables, police departments from Fort Worth and Forest Hill, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
—Doug Myers, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026
Harris County leaders worry a new law could leave them on the hook for higher costs by allowing constables to negotiate patrol contracts with neighborhood associations without approval.
—John Lomax V, Houston Chronicle, 30 Jan. 2026
Texas law requires constables to become licensed peace officers with arresting authority within nine months of taking office.
—Tracey McManus, Dallas Morning News, 29 Jan. 2026
That law change came more than half a decade after a joint WAVE News and Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting investigation highlighted the lack of training and accountability for the state’s constables, including some who had criminal records of their own.
—Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Dec. 2025
The law required sheriffs and constables to execute those orders — and enslavers paid them for their efforts.
—Equal Justice Initiative, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The range of salaries will be $143,400 for constables and $295,564 for District Attorney Phil Sorrells, a North Richland Hills Republican.
—Rachel Royster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for constables
Noun
-
After some counting—and the consulting of an Excel spreadsheet—the officers determined that Silvia and Guojun were the parents of twenty-one children in total, nearly all under the age of three.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
-
After a series of coups by officers dissatisfied with lagging counterterrorism efforts, juntas in the three countries booted France altogether, establishing close ties with Russia instead.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
10 May 2026
Noun
-
To be honest, this risk goes also to nurses, policemen, teachers, doctors, public servants.—
Andrew Marantz,
New Yorker,
9 May 2026
-
An unknown bomb-thrower at a labor rally sparked the Haymarket Affair on the Near West Side; eight policemen and at least four civilians died.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Burke, who cops said is homeless, was also arrested three times in February for assault, burglary, resisting arrest, drugs and weapons charges.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
9 May 2026
-
As the number of people in the database grew, DNA technology has advanced, protesters said, giving cops access to more kinds of biological identifiers.—
Ashley Belanger,
ArsTechnica,
7 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Constables.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/constables. Accessed 16 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
